The Jharkhand High Court has taken suo moto cognizance of an incident involving the gang-rape and assault of a Spanish woman who was on a cross-country bike tour with her husband. The incident occurred at Kurumahat in the Hansdiha police station area, approximately 300 km from Ranchi, on March 1 when the couple was spending the night at a makeshift tent.
The incidents of crime of any kind against a foreign national may have serious national and international repercussions including impacting the tourism economy of the country. A sex-related crime against a foreign woman is likely to bring adverse publicity against the country and thereby tarnish the image of India across the globe, the Jharkhand High Court said.
The court further pointed out that the woman speaks Spanish but it is not known whether there is the facility of translator with the help of whom her statement was recorded.
Furthermore, given the amendments made in the Code of Criminal Procedure and emphasis on the scientific investigation in cases of offences relating to rape, there is an urgent need to seek a report from the Superintendent of Police at Dumka as to the progress of the investigation so far conducted in the matter, the court further said.
The woman and her husband had travelled from Bangladesh to Dumka on two motorcycles with plans to continue to Bihar and then Nepal.
“We are in the hospital, and something happened to us that we wouldn’t wish on anyone. Seven men raped me, and they have beaten us and robbed us, although not many things (were taken) because what they wanted was to rape me. We are in the hospital with the police, it happened tonight in India,” the 28-year-old Spanish travel vlogger shared in her video post on IG.
Jharkhand Director General of Police Ajay Kumar Singh informed that all seven accused had been identified and that four had been arrested. Singh further assured that the remaining three will be arrested soon.
